Gas-producer.



No. 870,271 PAETEN ED'MV; 5, 190%;

' "G.W.BULLEY.

GAS PRODUCER.

APPLICATION nun 1120' 19.1906. 7

- 2 mum-42mm 1'.

WITNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE w. 'BULIlEY; on NEW YORK, NI. Y.

eas-rnonncnit.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed December 19.1906. strains. 348.633.

Patented Nov. 5,1907.

To all. whom' it mag concern: I

- Be it known that IEGEORGE W. BULLEY, residing at New York, in the coun v of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gas-Producers, of which the following is a full,

- clear, and exact description, such as will enable others the same.

skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use This invention relates broadly to the production of combustible gases, but more especially to apparatus employed for generating the same.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a new above'type from which may be taken producer gases and gases of a more permanent and stable character, the

latter being suitable for gas engine work or for analogous purposes.

A further object is to" pro'vide' agenerator wherein a substantially continuous generation of gas may. be obtained with a minimum amount of care andattendan'ce.

. construction, combinations of elements and arrange ment ofparts which will be exemplified in the appara tus hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims. In the accompanying drawings, wherein is illustrated one of the various possible embodiments of my invention,Figure 1 is a view in vertical section taken longitudinally of the generator. Fig. 2 is'a sectional view taken substantially on line aa of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is. a horiion'tal sectional view taken substantially on line b-b of Fig. 1, looking in a downward direction. Fig.4 is a view in elevation of the lower portion of one endof the generator. i v

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts rial,- one leg 2 of which ispreferably set in an upwardly inclined fiiisition and having another leg 3 disposed vertically. These legs rest upon suitable masonry bases 4 and 5 respectively. The retort or generating chamber 6 is located in leg 2 of the furnace, and is shown as con- Ystricted at its lower end and increasing in diameter from where it leads into a vertical chamber 7. Below the spent carbonized material or'ash which falls therein lower end of vertical chamber 7 in the present instance is provided a receptacle 8 designed to coritainwatenwhich acts both as a water seal and as a medium for quenching after passing downwardly through said vertical chamber. Arranged in the bottom of receptacle 8 in the cen tral portion thereof and extendin'g upwardly above the -lower end of the vertical chamber is a tapering abutment 9 adapted to discharge the ash or spent material at either'side of the receptacle; which has its innerwalls divergent, as at 10, to permit of the convenient removal of the spent carbonized material from the receptacle. This latter operation may be readily accomplished by raking the ash up the divergent sides'of the receptacle which, as shown, arelocated outside of the walls of the vertical chamber. a I r Leading into the lower end of generating chamber 6 is a conduit 11, in which is located the stoker employed for introducing fuel into said chamber The stoker inthe present instance is shown as an Archi-' 1 medean screw 12 suitably driven, as by worm-wheels 13'.

and 14 which receive power from any suitable sourceof supply. The fuel, which in the present. instance is shown as coal,- is delivered from hopper 15'into conduit ll and between the flights of the Archimedean screw, to be carried thereby upwardly into. the generating chambei-y 'lfhelower end of conduit 11 leads from a receptarizkfi which; contains water, the level of. which is kept above an opehiirgJGf which communicateswith the interior of hopper 15, hseffecting a water seal for the 1ower end of the generating chamber. v a Located near the lower end of leg 2bf. the furnace and preferably intermediate the ends therebf is a twyer block 17 recessed, as at 18, in its upper portion:- Leading rearwardly and downwardly from the bottom oir ecess 18 of twyer block 17 are a plurality of twyer openings 19, said openings in the presentinstance being disposed within said twyer block through an arc of substantially 180. It will be understood, 'of'course, that the twyer openings may be disposed at. ut the generatingchamher through any desired are or arranged entirely about the same. It will, be noted that the form and disposition of the twyer openings are such that the entering air blast will be deflected in a downward direction toward the incoming fresh fuel, the purpose of which will be made apparent hereinafter. Steam may also,- if desired, be forced into the generating chamber through the twyer openings by means of suitable jets 20, one of which is shown. 4 Auxiliary twyer openings 21 are also provided in leg 2 ofthe furnace which lead into the generating chamber as g at suitable locations throughout its extent, and similar auxiliary twyers 22 may leadinto'the vertical chamber.

Leading from' the upper portion of the generating .exit openings 24 are providedf'in the lower portion of vertical chamber 7 from which lead conduits25.

inner walls of the vertical chamber are preferably The formed with shoulders 26 which project over the mouths of gas exits 24 and prevent thecarbonized material from entering therein and thus choking the flow of gas.

"It will be noted that. the gas. eXit openings provided in the lower portion of the chamber and the several auxili- 1ary twycr openings which discharge into the generating chamber are formed rectangular at their inner ends but merge into circular form without the walls of the furnace.

The. upper portion of the furnace is provided with av manhole 27 which leads into the generating chamber, said-manhole in the present instance being closed by I me ans ofa plurality of superimposed plates 28, 29 and 30, the uppermost thereof covering a poke or sighthole 31- provided in the intermediate plate 29. A second poke or sight hole is shown at 32, and of course sight holesmay be provided for the furnace at any desirable portion of the furnace, by means of which the condition I 1 of the interior may be observed. 5

Having thus described the construction of this embodiment of my invention, the operation thereof may. now be understood.

In starting the operation of the generator, kindlings are first introduced into the lower portion thereof and conveniently introduced through manhole 27. kindlings are then ignited and the coke brought to the f required degree of incandescence.

the generator thereafter filled With coke, which may be The "large extent confined to the portion of the generating and that distillation of the volatile constituents of thechamber between the point of introduction of fuel and saidtwyer openingsl It may be also pertinent to note at this point that the air blast is regulated to admit only enough air into the combustion chamber to sustain an incomplete combustion of the carbonaceous material,

fuel takes place simultaneously with the incomplete combustion; The fuel, being constantly fed into. the generating chamber behind the portion thereof car- 'bonized at the seat of combustion, is fed progressively past the seat of combustion'and along the incline of the generating'chamber, and upon reaching the uppermost portion of said chamber it tumbles into the vertical leg thereof. The carbonized material or coke may be burned off to any desired extent by admitting air to the 7 interior of the generating chamber through any or all of the auxillary twyer openings which lead into the gen erating chamber. The admission of air through these latter twyer openings, as will be understood, will be suitably controlled by means of dampers.

The fuel, as it is fed through the inclined leg of the generating chamber past the seat of combustion, is carbonized by the incomplete combustion taking place thereat and by the distillation of its hydrocarbon constituents, and these hydrocarbon constituents in the presence of the air issuing through the twyer openings are decomposed to form carbon dioXid. The carbonizedmaterial or coke is also forced from the seat of combustion through the generating chamber in a highly heated or incandescent condition, and the carbon dioxid infiltrating through this-body of incandescent carbonized material is converted into carbon monoxid before reaching the upper portiom of said chamber. The carbonaceous material within the generating chamber when the producer is in operation may be said I to be divided into the portions, namely. an uncarbom ized portion at the lower end of the generating chamber, a substantially carbonized portion in the upper portion thereof, and a partly carbonized portion be- .tween the uncarbonized and the carbonized portions.

The (arbou monoxid generated at the seat of combustion through the incomplctc combustion of the fuel, passes through the incandescent mass and reaches the upper portion of the chamber in an unchanged condition. Itmay also be noted that the coal when introducc-d into the generating chamber, being saturated b passing through the water seal, is introduced into tln. generating chamber in a saturated condition, and the hydrogen which results from the decomposition of the steam into which this water is formed passes'up through the incandescent carbonized material unchanged.

The gas produced in the generating chamberffronr which a large portion of the incombustible impurities have been removed and which is suitable to be used as a producer gas, may be taken from the generating chamber through conduit 23, and the more permanent gases are preferably taken from the generating chamher through the exit openings provided in the lower portion of the vertical chamber inasmuch as these latter gases will be c1 ack ed or converted into more fixed or permanent gases by their further infiltration through the incandescent carbonized mass located within said vertical chamber. It will. of course be understood that, if desired, gas taken from either of the exit openings 23 or 25 respectively may be led through suitable washing or purifying apparatus, or that they may be leddirectly to the apparatus in which they are to be utilized.

It will thus be seen that I have provided apparatus wherein the volatile constituents of coal, wood, coke or other preferably solid carbonaceous substances may be converted into producer gases or into more valuable permanent inflammable gases with practically no loss of the volatile constituents of said carbonaceous substances. The hydrocarbons present in the fuel are oxidized and converted into hydrogen and carbon monoxid, and any water present in the fuel is decomposed and the hydrocarbon constituents thereof liberated by the passage of the steam into" which the water is formed through the incandescent body of carbonized matcrial. Moreover, since the distillation of the'hydrocarbons present in the coal takes place in a zone wherein free oxygen is present, some of them are decomposed and converted into carbon dioxid, which in its passage through the incandescent carbonized mass is converted into carbon monoxid before it reaches the exit opening.

One of the advantages accruing by reason of the construction of my apparatus as described resides in the fact that more pure stable gases such as carbon monoxid and hydrogen ah'efgenerated than with apparatus hither- "hind the bed of-coke, said'bed iskept in'a compact conv ogy-t us eliminating the necessity for frequent POLY-- provided, thuslargely obviating the necessityior the -employment;.of purif-ying apparatus'or. operations to W ivash o therwiseseparatethe-hon stable and decom' "chambenis substantially free from water,- tar and other 'tabl 'subsrsnces, andtheportionyoi' the hydrocarnte' {the ncomplet combustion taking m with in the generating chamber is in turn converted intofcarbon undnbxi'ddxyits contact with or infiltration through the incandescent material present in the generer'aboye seat of combustion, Another portant adyantage obtained by reason of, thdemploy- -ment-of my-improved apparatus as described lies in the e iuel, b'cing introduced behind the incanheate d before its arrival'at the seat of combustion and -,thcrefore' does not affect the continuity of the genera- "tion of gas. The advantages of-ihe continuous and uniform fd of on past the seat of combustion and the expense saved as regards the matter of care and attend -:ance are obvious. Since the fuel is constantly fed bepihg tor'emdve channels in the bed. Moreover, the in- 1: clinediposition-ofcthe combustion chamber furnishes a natural'course for the gas to passthrough the body of incandescent carbonized material therein. Still an- .dthei fimportant advantage inherent in my apparatus generator two qualities of gas, one'snitable for use in blast furnaces orior' analogous purposes "being withfrom the upper portion'of the generatbr, while the permanent or fixed *g ases fsuitable for fgas engine.

work may be withdrawn from. the lower portion pfthe vertical chamber. This latter gas, being withdrawn from the generator in proximity to the water in the ash receptacle,.will lose a large portion of its heatan'd consequently leave the generator in a comparatively cool condition.

It will be further understood of course that, if desired,

steam may be introduced at the seat of combustion by means of the jets arranged above the twyer openings, and although I now prefer to introduce air only through said twyeisand .feed the fresh fuel through the water seal, thus obtaining hydrogen to enrich the gas from the decomposition of the water carried'into the generating chamber by said fuel, it may in some instancesbe desirable to omit the water sealand use a'steam and air blast through the twyer openings at the seat of combustion,-

or in certain cases to accomplish a similar-result by admitting the air or air and steam through a hollow shaft which carriesthe flights of the stokcr, the end of the shaft nearest the firing chamber hav ng an opening in the form of an annular ring or a pluralitvoi open ngs for directing the blast atan angle to the axis of rota tion o'fthc stoker. I wish it also to be understood that in practice the angle of the inclined leg of the furnace may be changed at will to meet different conditions, alt-houghfor obvious reasons it will be preferably retained inclined with respect to the vertical.

.As' many changes could be made in theabove con ,uentslfrern the ga sb elfore th m-me may be.

of "(h fuel converted into carbon diox-id by cen b bod'y of carbonized materinlfis gsadually departing frornthescope thereof. it is intended that all 'matter contained in the above dcscriptionor shown in the accompanyingdrawings shall be intcrpn ted as illustrative and not limiting sense. It is also to be understood. that the language used in the following claims of language, might be said to iallthe' ifbetween.

Having described my invention-what I claim as new desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

D 1. In a gas producer, the'conlbination oi n furnace havihg an upwardly inclined generating chamber adapted to contain a body of incandescent carbonized material, said chamber-being providedwitb 11 sent of combustion inter-' mediate .the ends thereof, a water seal provided or. the

lower end of saidvcbamber, and means for introducing fresh fncl through said water seal into said chamber adapted'to feed the same progressively past said seat of combustion. 4

2, In a giis prodncelg in combination, a furnace having an upwardly. inclined'generating chamber adapted to contains. body of incandescent coke, said furnace being provided intermediate its ends with a plurality of blast twyersadapted to deflect the enteringalr ina d'o'wnward direction, and means 'for introducing fresh fuel into said generating chamber behind said' incandescent coke and for feeding the same progressively past said blast twycrs. 3. In a gas producer, the combination of a generating chamber adapted to contain n body or incandescent cake, a water seal in the lower portion of said generating chamber, means for introducing fuel into the lower portion of said generating chamber through said water seal and behind said incandescent coke, said means being adapted for progressively feeding the fuel in an upward direction within said chamber, a receptacle leading'fromfithe upper portion of said chamber into which saidicoke is continuclusly' discharged, and'anvate'rse'al located at the bottom of said receptacle. 2

i 4. In' a goa producer, tlie combination of :a generating chamber having linppwardly inclined leg and a vertically disposed leg leading therefrom, said chamber -being constru ct'ed to 'receivie a body of incandescent coke, meunsior introduing-fieshfdl into said upwardly inclined chamber at the lower portion thereof and for feeding the same in an upwardly direction, whereby said coke is continuously discharged into said'vrtical leg, a gas exit opening located at the upper end of said upwardly inclined leg and a gas exit opening located'at the lower portion or said vertical leg. 1

'5. In a gas producer, the combination of a retort comprising an upwardly inclined leg and a vertically disposed leg' leading from the former at the 'upper'portion thereof, said retort being adapted to contain a'carbonaceous .material in a carbonized state, means for introducing fresh carbonaceous material behind the carbonized portion thereof and-progressively feeding the-same through the upwardly inclined portion of said retort, whereby the carbonized portion thereof is discharged into said vertical opening at the lower-portion of said vertical chamber.

6. In a. gas producer, the comblnutionof a retort having an upwardly inclined chamber and a vertically disposed chamber leading therefrom, l1 water seal provided at the lower portion of said upwardly inclinedcbamber, and Ya water seul provided atthe lower-portion of said vertical chamber, said retort'being adapted to contain a carbonaceo s mass in an incandescent condition; a seat of combustion formed within the upwardly inclined portion of said retort intermediate the ends thereof, means for intlOJUClDQ'flESll cnrl iorlaceous ma erial behind the carbonized portion thereof -and for feeding the some progressively in an upward direction past said seat of coinbustion, whereby the carbonized portion of said mass is -towards the point of introduction of said carbonaceousmaterial.

8. .In a gas producer, the combination of a retort having-- an upwardly inclined chamber and a vertical chamber 'leading therefrom at its upper end, said retort being constructed to contain carbonaceous material in an incan' descent carbonized condition, a plurality of blast twyers located intermediate the ends of said fupwardly inclined chamber, and means for introducing 'fresh carbonaceous material into the lower portion of the latter chamber and for feeding the same progressively past said blast twyers.

9. ln-a gas producer, the combination of a retort comprising an upwardly inclined chamber and a vertical chamher, said retort being adapted to contain a mass of incandescent carbonaceous material, a fuel'receiving opening in the lower portion of said upwardly inclined chamber. an ash delivery receptacle at the lower portion of said vertical chamber, means for introducing fresh carbonaceous material into the former chamber and for feeding the same-progressively therethrough, whereby said carbonaceous material when carbonized is continuously discharged into said' vertical chamber, and water seals providedat the lowerend of each of said chambers.

. 10. In a gas producer, the combination of a retort comprising a vertical chamber and an upwardly inclined chamber leading thereinto, said retort being constructed to contain carbonaceous material in an incandescent condition, means for introducing fresh carbonaceous material into the lower portion of said upwardly inclined chamber, a plurality of blast twyers located in said retort above the point of introduction of said carbonaceousmaterial and below the carbonized portion thereof, said last named means being adapted to feed said fuel progressively past said blast twyers wherebythe carbonized portion thereof is continuously discharged into said vertical chamber, means for discharging gas at the upper portion of said retort, and means for discharging gas at the lower portion of the vertical chamber thereof.

Ience of two witnesses.

said upwardly inclined chamber, a gas delivery opening located in the upper portion of said retort, and a gas de livery opening leading from the lower portion of sold,

' vertical chamber.

12. Ina gas producer, the combination of a retort having a vertical chamber and an upwardly inclined chamber leading thereinto, said retort being adapted to contain carbonaceous material in an incandescent condition, means for feeding fresh carbonaceous material behind the incandescent portion thereof, blast twyers located above the point of introduction of said carbonaceous material and below the incandescent portion thereof, auxiliary blast twyers located above said first named blast twyers, gas exit openings leading from said retort at the upper portion thereof and at the lower portion of said vertical chamber, and a water seal provided at the lower portion "of said upwardly inclined chamber and at the corresponding portion of said vertical chamber.

'13. In a gas producer, the combination of a retort having a vertical chamber and an upwardly inclined chamber leading tl1ereinto, said retort being adapted to contain carbonaceous material in an incandescent state, means for feeding .fresh carbonaceous material behind the lncan-' vertical chamber at its lower portion, andawaterseal for said vertical chamber below the latter gas exit openings. c

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in the pres Witnesses:

.C. H. WILSON, H. M. SEAMANS.

ononen w. Bonner. 

